Colonel Ryan Kendall, commander of the 12th CAB, speaks with his Polish counterpart at the first US-Polish Apache Initiative summit. (US Army)
Following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and the resulting decline in Russia-NATO relations, the Polish army initiated the Kruk (Raven) attack helicopter replacement programme. Russia's 2022 attempt to invade the remainder of Ukraine sparked an almost immediate increase in Poland's spending on armed forces, and the country has placed large orders for new equipment spanning operating domains.
In September 2022 Poland made public its intent to purchase the Boeing AH-64E Apache and in August 2024 signed a letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for 96 Apaches via the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. A formal order, which Janes assesses at roughly USD10 billion in value, is expected to follow shortly. In addition to eight AH-64Ds leased to Poland, the US-Polish Apache Initiative is intended to familiarise the Polish army with AH-64 operations, US army personnel told Janes in advance of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2024 conference in Washington, DC.
The AH-64s are intended to replace the Polish army's small fleet of 1980s-era Mil Mi-24 Hinds, which the Poles kept flying following the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. The country joined NATO in 1999, but much of its armed forces continued to operate Soviet-built equipment.
The Apache purchase would give Poland the world's second-largest AH-64 fleet and represents a significant numerical and capability increase for the Polish army. The US Army, the world's largest AH-64 user, is working to provide the Poles with AH-64 experience before deliveries begin under the US-Polish Apache Initiative.
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